(CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, Guyana) Drums, dance, pan and soca music, chorale singing, story telling and pottery making converged at the Grand Market in the National Exhibition Site Sophia to create an alluring exposition of the Caribbean culture as CARIFESTA X fever intensifies in Georgetown, Guyana.

(CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, Guyana) Nobel Laureate the Hon Derek Walcott, OCC has warned the Caribbean Region against foreign investors whom he asserted did not facilitate or create opportunities for cultural development.

(CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, Guyana)   The Tenth Staging of the Caribbean Festival of the Arts, (CARIFESTA X) yesterday 24 August 2008 brought together, in a symposium, five outstanding literary artists who gave differing views on the status and future of Caribbean Culture under the theme_ Caribbean Culture At the Crossroads_ Seeking the Past, Living the Present, Exploring the Future.

It is a great honour to be present at the opening of CARIFESTA X and a pleasure for me to be part of the exciting experience of this mega arts festival. I am also very happy, as Head of Government with lead responsibility for Culture, Youth, Gender and Sport in the Quasi-Cabinet of CARICOM to congratulate His Excellency President Bharrat Jagdeo and the People of the Republic of Guyana for bringing the Caribbean Festival of Arts (CARIFESTA) back to the place where it originated thirty-six years ago.

CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, Greater, Georgetown, Guyana) Nostalgic recollections of the first Caribbean Festival of Arts (CARIFESTA) in 1972, and cultural presentations from a number of contingents, were the highlights Saturday evening at the opening of the Community Festivals in Festival City, Georgetown, Guyana.

Festival City, built by `self-help’, was constructed to house the contingents from more than 30 Caribbean countries which came to Guyana for CARIFESTA 36 years ago.

(CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, Guyana) The threat of ominous dark clouds and subsequent torrential showers just half-hour before the start, delayed the start, but did not deter the opening show for the tenth staging of the Caribbean Festival of Arts in Guyana yesterday (22 August 2008) under the theme_ One Caribbean, One Purpose; Our Culture Our Life. It certainly did not serve as a damper to the spirit of the 15,000 people who poured into the Providence Stadium to be a part of another piece of history in the making.

His Excellency Bharrat Jagdeo, President of the Republic of Guyana
His Excellency Runaldo Venetiaan, President of the Republic of Suriname and Lead Head for Community Development and Cultural Cooperation (including Culture, Gender, Youth and Sport) within the Community
Hon. Baldwin Spencer, Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda and Chairman of the CARICOM Heads of Government
Dr. the Hon. Ralph Gonsalves, Prime Minister of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and Mrs. Gonsalves
The Hon. Samuel Hinds, Prime Minister of the Republic of Guyana, and Mrs. Hinds

(CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, Guyana) The return of the Caribbean festival of Arts (CARIFESTA) to its inaugural location, Guyana was hailed as a special moment in the history of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) by CARICOM Secretary-General His Excellency Edwin Carrington when he spoke at the ceremony to launch the 10th staging of the Region’s premier arts festival in Guyana on Friday 22 August.

(CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, Guyana) Guyana’s Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport the Dr the Honourable Frank Anthony has urged the youth of the Region to use edutainment as a means of challenging the difficult issues that they face.

His Excellency, President Bharat Jagdeo, President, Prime Ministers, Ministers, Members of Parliament, Members of the Diplomatic Corps, Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen,

Peoples of the Caribbean, Visitors from South, Central and North America, Europe, Asia and Africa, Peoples of the world, As host to CARIFESTA X, I welcome you to our beautiful land of many waters - The ancient land of El Dorodo.

In the exquisite tongue and words of Guyana’s first people, I say Rebango toro Kayana ta Welcome!